carry each other

Not because of the comments of their president, but because of his actions in suing Vermont small business owner, Bo Muller-Moore, over his “Eat More Kale” t-shirts. I thought that the giant fast food chicken joint was being a bully. I don’t like bullies, so I don’t eat bully-made chicken. There. Done. I haven’t had Chik-Fil-A in over 2 years. My life carries on.

via csmonitor.com

All the recent hullabaloo over the anti-gay remarks, mayors and city officials not wanting their “anti-gay” business is a whole lot of noise in the wrong direction. This also screams of intolerance and tolerance is a two-way street.

Anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about tattoos. They are not for me. (Or, for the children I’ve raised. Especially the two 9-pound babies, that I shoved through my normally 110 lb frame, which brings cause to mention the collective 100 extra pounds I gained and lost from those most beautiful, momentous occasions. Do you think I carried those babies to have them permanently mark up their bodies….oops. Sorry. Off-topic.

Anyway. Tattoos.

I do not like tattoos. Am I going to try to shut down tattoo parlors in a small effort to push my opinions on others? Of course, not. Can I really stop my grown children from getting tattoos? Of course, not. But, they obviously know how I feel. They will make their decision and they have that right because they are adults.

I don’t like tattoos, so I won’t get one. I support your right/opinion/statement to get a tattoo. With barely any judgement, as an added bonus.

I don’t like bullies, so I don’t eat Chik-Fil-A.

You may not like Pilates or Maker’s Mark bourbon or 4 lb. dogs or old movies or any of the things I love. I’m confident that you wouldn’t want to take away my right to enjoy those things, correct? Why can’t we each just be responsible for ourselves?

This morning, after reading my Twitter and FB feeds filled with mentions on this subject, I took to my workout, really meditating on the idea of tolerance for all things. Then, Bono spoke to me. No, really. He actually sang to me. U2’s “One” with Mary J. Blige came up on the iPod. (FunFact: This song was released 20 years ago. FunFactBonus: I’m old.)

“We’re ONE, but we’re not the same, we GET to carry each other…”

We are all human. We all laugh, we all cry, we all bleed. Our hearts beat the same, our hearts can all love, our hearts can all be broken. We have all asked for forgiveness. We have all asked for acceptance. We have all asked to be loved.

Why don’t we recognize each other? Why do we treat those that are different from ourselves, as if they are wrong. Why don’t we just agree to be different, have a much more interesting and colorful society and “carry each other”?

Never, will we all agree. Never, will we all look-alike. Never, will we all want to be exactly the same. It is illogical. But, we all live here, on this planet, together. There is no choice but to get along, as “one”.

via thequotefactory.com

What could we accomplish if, instead of arguing with each other over our differences or our own opinions of right or wrong, we just took that energy and moved each other forward…carried each other? I would love the opportunity to try. I hope in my lifetime that we end this obnoxious, divisive culture and we are able to live differently, as “One”.

The ideas of tolerance are ancient. Why is it taking so long for us to get it? From Jesus and Buddha, to Ghandi, MLK and the Dalai Lama. Artists, poets and musicians; John Lennon imagined it. Bono, Mary J. Blige, and many others wrote and sang about it, too.

I wouldn’t mind simply adding my name to the group that calls for tolerance, acceptance, moving forward and ending the noise.

And, I wouldn’t mind it either if Chik-Fil-A would leave that hard-working Bo-Muller Moore alone and drop that stupid lawsuit, already. Maybe I could exercise a little tolerance and enjoy a box of those golden chicken nuggets with a side of Polynesian sauce. Just saying.

ONE (lyrics Bono, music U2)

Is it getting better?

Or do you feel the same? Will it make it easier on you now? You got someone to blame You say…

One love One life When it’s one need In the night

One love We get to share it Leaves you baby if you Don’t care for it

Did I disappoint you? Or leave a bad taste in your mouth? You act like you never had love And you want me to go without? Well it’s…

Too late Tonight To drag the past out into the light

We’re one, but we’re not the same We get to Carry each other Carry each other One…

Have you come here for forgiveness? Have you come to raise the dead? Have you come here to play Jesus To the lepers in your head?

Did I ask too much? More than a lot You gave me nothing Now it’s all I got

We’re one But we’re not the same Will we Hurt each other Then we do it again

You say Love is a temple Love a higher law Love is a temple Love the higher law

You ask me to enter But then you make me crawl And I can’t be holding on To what you got When all you got is hurt

One love One blood One life You got to do what you should

One life With each other Sisters Brothers

One life But we’re not the same We get to Carry each other Carry each other

8 comments

While this may be my favorite post, yet, the best part is how in the same sentence you go, “you may not like Pilates or Maker’s Mark…” haha Priceless. Why aren’t you going to be in the Vineyard this weekend! You’re leaving the Boy, Jordan, and me to die! 🙂 we shall be fine. We won’t eat… But we’ll be fine. I think. 🙂 Love you!!

Wonder filled post. I was thinking about you whilst diving into work this AM, thinking how many things about me (many tattoos, dark crime fiction I write, etc) that fall on your not so beloved list. And yet, me, I fall firmly on your beloved list. It is easy to think these outward things are us. WE are more than our tattoos, even more than are heald beliefs. We are ONE. Love you sister of mine.